Into the fire
by MyLadyDay
Summary: Ace goes to great lengths to protect his friends, choosing them over his own happiness more often than not. Can he find what he wants most in his life while dealing with guilt and a detective that can see right through him? Sequel to 'Running to the edge of the world' with a different pairing. AU
1. Prologue

Prologue

**Blood and fire**

Planning something of this kind was easy, maybe fun even, but as Ace was leaving the station he found that actually going through with it was tougher that he imagined. Yet, it had to be done. He walked to his car, grateful that it was dark and snowing again; it would make things easier. Upon entering the car, he leaned back and checked (for the hundredth time) if he had everything in the bag. Rummaging through a bag filled with clean clothes, wine bottles and various flammable objects including an embarrassing amount of candles. Lastly, he checked if he had his trusted Zippo in his pocket; he traced the engraved spade on the side of the lighter before shifting his fingers to check if the bottle of sleeping pills was there too.

Finally assured he had everything, he started the car and drove a few blocks until he was only a block from his destination. He took a moment to check the time and see if he was on schedule; he had an hour before he had to be at Robin's place with the others. Ace took off his coat, revealing a dark gray shirt and equally dark pants; wearing full black wasn't a good idea with all the snow. He fished out a pair of black leather gloves from the glove compartment and slid them on before taking one last calming breath. The duffle bag was heavy, even after he removed his change of clothes from it, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

The streets were empty, save for the snow, but he wouldn't take any chances. Running through dark alleys, Ace arrived at the building he had been observing for a few days. As planned, his way in was the fire escape. Strapping the bag to his back, he climbed the snow covered metal stairs carefully; they creaked under his weight added to the already heavy snow. The climbing took five minutes longer than planned, but he was still making good time when he reached the top floor. It was in that moment that he as grateful for being so paranoid in the days before that he broke into the apartment and memorized the layout.

He was looking into the dark hall through a frosty window; there was light coming from what he remembered was the kitchen and he could see a sliver of light from under the bathroom door. Keeping as quiet as possible, Ace unlaced his shoes before opening the window he rendered impossible to lock on his previous visit. When the window was opened, he could hear sounds of a shower running from the bathroom. He figured it was his only opportunity and jumped in, his footsteps silent on the wooden floor as he made his way to the kitchen. Luck was on his side; he found a teapot filled with hot tea, perfect for his plan. Swiftly taking the bottle of pills from his pocket, he retrieved a few sleeping pills and crushed them on the counter before dumping the powder into the hot liquid. Making sure he wiped the counter of any traces, he checked the time and returned to the hall. The bathroom was silent and he moved against the opposite door, not wanting to risk casting shadows under the door.

He was out the window in a flash, his boots back on his feet as he closed the window. Just in time as he saw the bathroom door open and Ishilly step out into the hall. She didn't even glance in the direction of the window, assuring him that she didn't notice anything strange. All that was left was waiting; the pills took 20 to 30 minutes to take effect. He had used enough considering her body mass, so only one cup should be enough to at least stun her. That wouldn't interfere with his plan so he had no cause for panic. The fact he had to wait half an hour in the falling snow was more alarming and Ace admitted that it was the only part of the plan he may have messed up with.

The window wasn't as frozen as it had been before he opened it; he could see into the hall clearly and he observed Ishilly walk from the small living room into the kitchen a few times in fifteen minutes, holding her cup each time she did so. After the first fifteen, she stopped moving between rooms, but he waited until the half hour was up. The window was once again opened silently and he removed his shoes again; leaving footprints on the floor would be a bad idea. His feet touched the floor softly before he pulled the duffle bag into the room with him and closed the window just in case. The bag was left on the floor under the window so the clinking of bottles in it wouldn't alarm Ishilly if she was still conscious enough.

Ace's socks were gliding over the smooth surface of the floorboards as he tried to keep the noise to a minimum; all the sneaking around and delinquent behavior from his younger days was coming in handy for once. Pressing his back against the wall, he peeked into the kitchen and after a quick glance, confirming she wasn't in there, moved across the hall and looked into the living room.

Ishilly was sitting on the couch, her body lax and her head resting on the backrest. The empty cup was overturned on the carpet in front of her. He took a deep breath and moved back to retrieve his bag before proceeding. So far, his plan was working as he had imagined, but he couldn't lose his cool this far in. She hadn't seen him yet and he could have backed away before he did something he could never undo. If he got caught, his life would be over and he would never see the people he loved again. Though, the reason he was doing what he was doing were his friends and their happiness. He was aware of the melodramatic note in his thoughts, but it couldn't be helped after witnessing what the woman in the next room was capable of. He steeled his resolve and walked into the living room with the bag in hand.

Ishilly was just as he had left her, but stepping closer revealed that her eyes were still open. She wasn't completely under and somehow she managed to look at him, horror evident in her eyes, but she couldn't speak.

"I told you that you'd regret not leaving them alone." he said, his voice low and menacing. There was no stepping back now. With tears welling in her eyes and fear written on her face, Ishilly succumbed to the drug in her system and lost consciousness.

Ace saw her faint and hurried with his business; the bag was lowered to the ground gently, the bottles inside clinking softly. First he removed the pill bottle from his pocked and wiped it off, in case someone decided to check for prints, and took it to the bathroom, placing it in the medicine cabinet with numerous other bottles of the kind. He returned to the living room and took the bottles of wine from the bag, wiping them in the same manner as the pill bottle. There really was no such thing as being too careful.

Forcing a bottle worth of wine into an unconscious person wasn't an easy task and it took him forever. Or so it seemed to him, anyway, but he managed it nonetheless. After that, there was no way for her to wake up. He took the empty as well as the full bottle to the kitchen; there, he found a wine glass and filled it with wine from a freshly opened bottle. The bottles were left in the kitchen, in plain sight, while he took the glass and placed it next to the couch. He turned back to Ishilly's slack body and decided to move her so she was lying on the couch as one might when taking a nap.

So far so good and Ace moved to his favorite part of the plan. He pulled out the numerous candles he stashed into his bag, placing them around the room. Most of them were strategically placed near the electrical installations and he added a few fuses he had kept from his younger days when he had slight pyromaniac tendencies, but he also placed a few near the sleeping girl and the curtains. He scouted the apartment for any more candles, but didn't find any.

Glancing at his watch, he noticed everything was timed almost perfectly. He took his bag and placed it onto the fire escape before returning to light the candles. The fuses were placed into the fire and according to his calculations, they should burn out in five minutes. That was enough time for him to leave and get away before the fire seriously started.

His favorite lighter lit the candle next to the couch last and he placed the fuse that would spread the fire to the covers and Ishilly's clothes; he would leave nothing to chance, she wasn't allowed to leave that room alive.

Leaving all regret behind, he ran down the hall and out the window, putting his shoes on before closing the window as if it was never opened. The snow was still falling and knowing his fellow firefighters, they would use those same stairs so the chance of his footprints being discovered was nonexistent. He did his best to make it look like an accident. It wasn't difficult after all the fires of the same kind he had extinguished, seeing all too many times how people got drunk and burned down because of a lit cigarette or candles. Since Ishilly didn't smoke, the candles were a safer choice.

He was in his car faster than expected and didn't waste time starting the car and driving away. His driving was as safe as possible; getting stopped for speeding would be suspicious, for sure. The fire should have started by the time he had parked in front of Robin's apartment and he changed his clothes quickly, slid into his coat and left the car. He barely rang the doorbell before Robin let him in, quickly notifying him that everyone was already there. Ace sighed in relief and joined his friends, hoping that his plan would work out as it should.

Seeing Zoro and Sanji together only served to ease his guilt. They were obviously hiding their relationship, but Ace could see the way their hands always conveniently drifted closer to each other or the kiss they shared in the privacy of the kitchen. Robin was watching him closely, though, since she didn't know any details, but Ace could imagine she knew what he had done and yet she didn't seem to judge him.

XXXXX

As the next day showed, his plan didn't cover everything as he had thought. Sitting at Zoro's kitchen table as detective Phoenix entered the apartment was unnerving. There was only one reason for the man to be there and Ace did not like it, but Sanji and Zoro remained confused.

Ace knew the detective from the numerous crime scenes he had visited in his line of work, but they had never talked as far as he could remember. If he had not been nervous about the situation, he would admit the blond was attractive, but that could have been his loneliness talking too. His mind was a mess as he listened to the older man speak of a paper with Zoro's address and contact information found somewhere in Ishilly's apartment. He was the only person they could link to her in the country so he was notified of her accident, though the policeman was inclined to ask a few questions regarding the amount of alcohol and sleeping pills in her system. While Zoro spoke of their breakup and how bad she had taken it, Ace moved without thinking to light Sanji's cigarette with his Zippo.

Answering Sanji's question whether he smoked with a no, he could feel half-lidded blue eyes observing him, reading into his soul and he couldn't help but look straight into them as if they were headlights of an approaching train; one he could not avoid for long. The look was calculating, curious and he barely stopped the shiver that threatened to shake his very core from the intensity of it. The blond still looked lazy, sleepy even, but Ace could see beyond the laidback exterior; he was being sized up and without a doubt, he was suspicious in those eyes.

Still, he didn't regret a thing.

**So, starting a new story. This is a semi-sequel to Running to the edge of the world, so you can read that first if you want, might make things more understandable (like why the hell he killed her xD).**


	2. Cold black days

**Cold black days**

Marco was stepping into the cold street, trying hard not to think of the news he had delivered only moments before. He was in the police for a long time, longer than he would ever admit actually, but he never got accustomed to telling people their loved ones are dead. As grim as it might have seemed, he was actually relieved he didn't have to be the poor bastard to call the girl's parents. He moved to the curb where his car was parked and after a short consideration pulled out a cigarette from his coat's inner pocket. No matter how hard he had tried to quit, he simply couldn't help but lighting a cigarette whenever he had to visit the family of a victim. A smoke was even more needed after seeing that young firefighter with the victim's ex; it shouldn't have raised any suspicions, yet he couldn't help but think how _convenient _it was. How the only person in the country that knew her was hanging out with a firefighter after she died in a fire.

He took a drag from his cigarette, trying hard not to chuckle at his own paranoia and casting suspicions at everyone. Maybe he has been in the force for too long, making him see suspects were there weren't any. Besides, he had seen Ace at the station many times before. Other than the fact Thatch and he were pretty good friends, the young man was also a legend of sorts being only 22 and already having a track-record of countless saved lives under his belt. Not to mention how most people at the precinct had the hots for him, both male and female. For a good reason, Marco had to admit then scold himself for thinking like that about a kid 10 years younger than himself, even more so since he was one of the firefighter's admirers. And not one of those that admired him just for his heroic tendencies; the kid was hot and probably knew it very well, too.

Still, his gut was telling him there was more to this accident than it had seemed at first, but again, it could have been simply over thinking it. Hell, he wasn't even a fire investigator, simply got roped into notifying the next of kin because he took Thatch's Sunday shift. It was times like those that he wished he had a reason to not work on weekends. Marco tossed his unfinished cigarette into a pile of snow, listening to the hiss of it being extinguished before opening the door of his car and sitting into the driver's seat. Without a second thought, he made his way to the precinct. He knew the gnawing in his gut wouldn't stop until he checked if the green haired ex and Ace had criminal records. It was an asshole move, he had to admit, but he wouldn't be able to let it go if he didn't check even though he probably wouldn't find anything.

His mind finally at ease, for the moment at least, he drove through the streets and pulled into the precinct parking lot after a few short minutes. At least traffic was on his side. Marco parked his car in the usual spot even though the parking lot was almost empty; other than the chief who spent all his waking hours in his office, only a few other poor bastards had to work Sundays. Sure, some of the uniforms were on patrol, but at least they were out doing stuff instead of sitting at a cluttered desk, wondering why they can't solve murders without so much paperwork.

Marco didn't hurry inside, the cold didn't really bother him and the fresh air was more than welcome before entering the stuffy and dust filled office. He greeted two officers on their way out and finally stepped into what could be called his second home, no matter how loud and crowded it got sometimes. The lobby wasn't completely empty, but nowhere near as loud as it usually could be. It would seem that even criminals took a day off once in a while. A few people in handcuffs were occupying the benches with two officers keeping an eye on them while the man behind the front desk flipped through a magazine. Izo would usually get coaxed into working Sundays, but Marco didn't really know how. He did look extremely bored, however. Marco chuckled and immediately drew the other's attention. Izo's face lit up in an instant and he shut his magazine while grinning at the detective.

"I am so friggin' glad you're here, this place is boring on Sundays." Izo said, making Marco chuckle again. "We only have a few drunk and disorderlys and they didn't even do anything fun."

Marco leaned against the desk, looking up at his partner while listening to his bitching. Izo always had something to bitch about, especially when he worked the front desk or doing paperwork in the department. He took his job as a detective more seriously, but still found one thing or another to complain about.

"Unfortunately, I can't keep you company." Marco said and watched as Izo's face fell. "I've got some things to check out and paperwork to finish since you're not bothering with it." Izo pretty much pouted at the statement without bothering to look remotely guilty because of it, but Marco was used to it after all the years he spent partnered up with the man. He pushed away from the desk.

"Have fun." he said in a sing-song voice, offering a small wave to his partner without bothering to look at him. Marco climbed the stairs and walked to the Homicide department, passing several other detectives and policemen in the large space of the station littered with desks. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of the empty room of the department. It was moments like those that he appreciated working in the only department that had a room of it's own. He slowly unbuttoned his coat and took it off, leaving it on an empty coat hanger by the door before moving across the room past other desks just as cluttered as his was.

His desk was the furthest from the door, covered in files and papers. It was bothersome seeing as he was usually very tidy (even overly so), but the paperwork always overwhelmed him. Mostly because he did a part of Izo's work and even some of Thatch's too. Why? Well, that would most likely remain unanswered, but Marco didn't really mind helping his friends, knowing they would do the same for him.

He sat on his still fairly comfortable chair and turned on the computer; the only thing on the desk not covered with papers. While waiting for the old piece of junk to boot up (_note to self: get the old man to buy new computers_), Marco shuffled some of the papers around, filed the finished reports and dumped Izo's work on the man's desk to be taken care of at some point. He wasn't content until the only files on the desk were the cases they were working on and the thin case file of the fire he was interested in. Thatch had, surprisingly, finished his report right after a short look at the scene. It was only a preliminary report, but it held enough information to satisfy Marco's curiosity and for him to see if there had been anything suspicious. With a few clicks, he opened the criminal database and typed the boyfriend's name in the search bar. It took a few minutes, but the search ended and Marco sighed in relief; Zoro didn't have a criminal record. For a moment, curiosity got the better of him and he opened the personal records too. The detective felt a short pang of pity at the sight of reports of his parent's deaths, but moved from those fairly quickly. Next were custody papers signed by a name he recognized; he hadn't seen Koshiro in years, ever since he was a teen and stopped going to the dojo, but Marco knew that the old man and his former sensei were still close friends. He certainly hadn't expected to come across Koshiro's grandson. Other than that and several permits to carry a sword on a plane, Zoro Roronoa didn't have anything exceptional in his files, let alone anything that would indicate he was capable of burning his girlfriend to death.

Since he was already in the personal files, Marco searched for Ace D. Portgas. He was aware how completely inappropriate that was, but couldn't stop himself; there was just something _off _about the firefighter. The computer was having some issues, not for the first time, and Marco was saved from staring at the frozen computer screen when the door opened and Izo walked in, carrying a cup of something that was more than likely coffee. Izo was obviously there to see him, since there was absolutely no one else around and Marco was grateful that his computer faced the wall thus making it impossible for anyone to see what he was doing. Having to explain to Izo why exactly he was looking through a firefighter's (and a close friend of their brother's) personal records wasn't a conversation he wanted to have. Ever. Marco smirked at his partner.

"Shouldn't you be at the desk?" he asked.

"The old man came by and asked me to bring you some coffee when I mentioned you were here." Izo replied smoothly, setting the cup in front of Marco and sitting in his own chair opposite him.

"Thanks." he took a sip before continuing. "You gonna stay here and work?"

"Nah, I have to go back." Izo sighed. "I'm just so bored." He sighed dramatically once more before getting up and starting for the door.

"You're no fun today." he whined as he slipped out and closed the door behind him, leaving Marco alone again. He chuckled at the way his partner acted like a little girl sometimes.

He glanced back at the screen and found a picture of Ace smiling back at him. The computer started working again sometime while Izo was there and was displaying Ace's files. Seeing as he worked in public service, his personal records contained files from his professional achievements as well.

Marco skimmed through everything, finally feeling uneasy about what he was doing. A few things caught his attention; mother listed as deceased, father not listed, sole guardian Garp D. Monkey. Marco stopped reading and gaped in shock. The freakin' mayor was his legal guardian? That made the fact Ace lived in a high end part of town on a firefighter's salary a bit more believable, but Marco still felt a bit guilty for looking at the address.

Marco groaned and closed the files, mentally slapping himself for treating the younger man as a suspect even though he had no reason to do so, other than a feeling in his gut. The criminal records search popped back up as he had left it and he simply typed up Ace's name in it seeing as it was too late to feel more guilty than he already felt.

To his surprise, one file popped up. Marco read through it and scowled at the screen; according to the report he was seeing, Ace was the main suspect for setting a car on fire a few years ago, when he was 15, but he wasn't charged because of lack of evidence. His name was, however, in the report so he was in the database. Instead of going away, the feeling in Marco's gut only intensified. Definitely not what he had been expecting, but it still proved nothing. Ace was an accomplished fireman known for disregarding his own safety for others, a hero popular amongst his colleagues as well as the police force. Accusing him of arson and possibly murder would probably end a career, whether it would be Ace's or Marco's was hard to tell.

Marco closed all the files and sighed in exasperation. If only his instinct could stay still for once and not suspect every single person he met. He was sick of it, the trust issues that came with the constant suspicion he held for everyone outside his makeshift family at the precinct; making new friends was impossible and romantic relationships were non-existent for years already. Some might call it trust issues, but Marco was adamant about using that term. He trusted people, they were just very few that had earned his trust, but neither Izo nor Thatch understood why he hadn't bothered with romance in a fairly long while.

His thoughts were venturing into dark places and he wasn't in the mood for that; why he had thought of his inability to hold a relationship while researching Ace, he didn't know, but thinking about Ace was just as depressing. Marco wasn't sure if he should investigate, follow his instinct and possibly fuck up his career or someone's life because of a feeling in his gut that has failed him before. True, it didn't happen often, but it did. He could just as well be wrong with Ace. After all, he didn't even know the kid, didn't see a motive for killing that girl nor did he see anything indicating foul play in the report of the crime scene.

Yet, the feeling was there and didn't seem it would go away any time soon. It overwhelmed the fleeting attraction he held for the man and he already felt bad about it in the first place. Age difference and all that, he should be wise enough not to fall for someone based solely on their looks and ogling someone 10 years younger was just wrong. Marco groaned at the course his thoughts were taking, his indifferent façade crumbling because of his inner discussion. It took a lot to make him lose his cool and somehow this kid managed to do it without even being there. Hell, without even knowing Marco in the first place and still causing him a splitting headache. It would be better to let it go, the lack of evidence was astounding, he knew, but he just couldn't put his mind at ease.

When in such serious doubts, Marco was left with only one option and one person to turn to. Running his hand through the blonde tuff of hair, he stood from his desk and stretched. Too much time has passed since he got there and the coffee Izo brought him was still on the desk, no longer warm. Still, he took the cup and downed it's contents out of sheer nervousness before he made his way to the door. The hallway was empty, but he could hear voices from the lobby and see other people in the departments he passed on his way to the massive double door at the back of the building.

As usual, the doors were open and welcoming to anyone that needed absolutely anything from the old man that occupied the office. Chief Newgate was like a father to all of them and most of the older members of the force had him as a foster father at some point of their lives, Marco being the first of them. It had been years ago when he was still a kid, but he still went back to him for advice when it was needed and at that moment, he really needed it. He took a deep breath as he approached the office and knocked on the open door to alert the old man of his presence.

"Hey, Pops, you got a minute?" Marco asked once the chief lifted his gaze towards him. He was sitting behind a large desk on a large chair that barely held his large form. Even in his fairly old age, the chief dubbed Whitebeard was a man whose presence towered over everyone and anyone. His equally large dog was napping in the doggy bed next to the desk. The old man grinned under his impressive white mustache at the sight of his first son and invited him inside, motioning to the comfy chair on the opposite side of the desk. Marco moved as silently as possible because of the sleeping pet and sat down. Whitebeard observed him for a moment, taking in the signs of something bothering the son he relied the most on. It was subtle, but he knew the blond long enough to see through the mask that seemed to be lacking in it's usual strength. His demeanor said lazy and uninterested, but his eyes gave glimpses of the emptiness inside and it pained the old man to see his son like that; absorbed in work and no one to go home to. It was even worse since the man in question didn't seem to notice the issue.

"What's on your mind, boy?" Finally he spoke and the sound of his voice woke Stefan from his slumber; even with his best efforts, whispering wasn't easy for the man and his booming voice.

Marco sighed and averted his eyes. He needed the advice, but there was no way he could explain the predicament he was in. Thinking that the mayor's adopted kid killed someone without any evidence, only a gut feeling was all fun and games until he told his boss. Whitebeard might have been a father to him, but he was also his boss and could still get him suspended for idiotic things like accusing the mayor's son for murder.

"There was a fire yesterday with one victim." Marco started, still avoiding his father's eyes. "It's Thatch's case, but we switched shifts so I had to notify the next of kin. Well, her ex since he's the only one in the country that knew her."

"You think it was murder?" Whitebeard asked, not really sure where the conversation was going.

"Maybe." Marco replied simply.

"And you think it was the boyfriend?" the chief spoke again.

"I checked him out, there's nothing that stood out." he said. "It's one of his friends that kinda gives me a weird feeling, though." he added quietly.

"Any evidence? Motive?" the old man asked.

"Nothing." Marco said, eyes focused on the groves in the surface of the desk in front of him. "Just my instinct."

"I'm not sure what you need me for. You've investigated and solved cases by following your gut." Whitebeard said with a laugh.

"It's Ace Portgas and the mayor is his legal guardian…" Marco trailed off, trying very hard not to look at the rather terrifying man sitting opposite him. They were both silent for a few moments, only Stefan's heavy breathing broke the silence. Marco finally lifted his head and looked at the only father he had ever known. His gaze was hard, but he knew that wasn't because it was Ace in question or that he had connections to the mayor; the chief was never concerned with who had connections to whom, whether it be the mayor or president or whatever. No, it was because Marco doubted himself and his instinct, the best tool he had for doing his job. The job he put second only to his brothers and that was only barely since he worked with all of them.

"The fireman brat that Red keeps bragging about?" Whitebeard asked with a laugh, breaking the tension. "Why would you suspect him of anything?" The laugh did little to hide how skeptical the old man was; no matter how good the blond's instinct was, there was usually more evidence or motive or anything.

"I don't know." he replied with a sigh. "There was just something off with him. I can't put my finger on it, but it's there."

The silence was heavy, the two looking each other in the eyes. The old man knew Marco came to him for permission to continue investigating, like he did every time he had only his basic instinct to guide him and Whitebeard was always glad to give it to him, but something was off this time. Other than the small matter of no evidence, but little things like that never mattered to the chief. He saw the bigger picture or something like that.

"I'm sure you'll do the right thing." he finally said with a quirk of his eyebrow that was completely Whitebeard. "That's all the advice I can give you, son."

Just like that, Marco had permission to pursue his hunch if he chose to do so. He only had to be smart and subtle about it, but that shouldn't be an issue. This only brought forth the question of whether he would actually start his investigation and if he'd include Thatch. It was his case and even if it was murder, it was also most likely arson and that would be Thatch's area of expertise. He most likely wouldn't share Marco's suspicions; after all, he knew Ace on more than just a professional level. As far as Marco knew, they hung out regularly which was also strange given that Thatch was Marco's age.

"Thanks, Pops." he said, getting out of the chair. "I'll see you later before I go home." With that, he was back on his way to the department, hoping it was still empty. He needed to think about what to do next and how to handle it. It was grating on his nerves, like he had never dealt with a murder before and it was hard to explain.

The room was still empty and he sat back on his chair, noticing a napkin with a donut on it in front of his keyboard; the only sign that told him Izo had been back in there while he was gone. It managed to bring a smile to his face, his partner always knew how to cheer him up even if it was short lived. He couldn't stop worrying if his instinct was finally wrong, but Ace had a lighter even though he himself said he didn't smoke. _That doesn't mean anything._ Marco was ready to light one himself, the situation turning more stressful with every passing moment and he hadn't even started anything. It was a new feeling for him, doubting himself on a professional level. His record of solved murder cases (with Izo, of course) was spotless and it made putting the job first worth it; the lack of free time or friends outside of work, the lack of a relationship. It was all worth it when he would catch a murderer and see him end up behind bars. Yet, everything he knew about Ace so far informed him that the fireman was a good person. Hell, the guy was practically a saint as far as he had heard.

Marco groaned and felt compelled to smash his head against a wall or something. He took the donut instead and dug into it, realizing he hadn't eaten since breakfast. It wasn't like him to question himself like that or beat himself up over a potential murderer. That was it, Marco snapped out of his weird funk and decided he should do something about it rather than just over think himself into an early grave.

If the chance to talk to Ace arises, he would take it. It wouldn't be the first time Marco would interrogate someone without them knowing it and since Thatch is both their friend, things should be easier. He wouldn't start a full out investigation until he had at least some idea of the motive. That plan seemed to ease the unfamiliar feeling he had for most of the day and he was able to relax at least a bit. Shifting his focus back on the stack of files and unfinished reports, Marco grimaced and picked a random one from the pile. That was as good a start as any. He opened it and started catching up on the case to see where he needed to correct his report and finish it. It was boring work that in no way matched the Sunday he was having with all the inner turmoil and conflicting feelings and whatnot. He would just do what he did best and solve that case if there was one. Simple as that. He was focusing on the reports and papers in front of him, opting for finishing it before going home. Dealing with those again would be a hassle and the day was turning perfect for doing something boring.

Marco didn't notice how much time has past while he worked and Izo only came to visit once, complaining about the ungodly boredom he couldn't escape. The blond couldn't offer any help in that regard, still focusing on the paperwork (a suspicious amount of it was Izo's which made the man disappear from the room as soon as it was mentioned) and Marco didn't check the time until the last paper was placed in it's rightful cabinet. For the first time in a while, his desk was cleared just the way he liked it save for the file on the fire. The matter made it's way to the front of his mind once again and he was aware it would stay there for the time being.

Seeing as that wouldn't change any time soon, Marco decided it was time to go home. Well, to his empty apartment. Hardly a home, but it had a bed and that was all he needed after working way past his (Thatch's) shift ending. Still, he slid into his coat and made his way to the chief's office to say good night. It may have been late, but the old man spent more time there than any of them on most days. As he approached, he saw the lights were still on and he peeked in without knocking this time. Still sitting at his desk, Whitebeard was reading some files with Stefan's head resting in his lap.

"You should really head out too, old man." Marco said with a soft smile. "It's getting late."

"I'm supposed to say that to you, not the other way around, boy." he replied with a loud laugh, startling Stefan awake. Marco laughed at the way he was still referred to as a boy even when he was in his early 30s, but that was something the old man would never stop doing. They were all still kids to him anyway.

"Just go home, Pops. Stefan looks tired." he laughed again and waved goodbye before stepping out, walking towards the exit. Izo left some time before, right after his shift ended and decided to look for fun somewhere else with someone that was more fun than Marco as he had delicately put it. He crossed the almost empty precinct and stepped outside, debating whether to light a cigarette or not on the way to his car. Deciding not to at the last minute, he glanced across the road towards the fire station before entering his car. He barely thought about the ride to his building as he had driven the route countless times already and soon found himself locking the car. It was cold out and dark, the parking lot of his building illuminated only by the light from a few windows of the apartments above.

With the elevator still broken, Marco climbed the dark stairwell to the third floor and somehow managed to unlock the door in the darkness. He took off his coat and shoes, still in the dark. There was no need to turn on the lights, he knew exactly where everything was and what wasn't there; the dark only made the lack of another person less obvious. It's not like he wasn't used to it, anyway. He walked through the familiar space straight to the bedroom, stripping down to his boxers as soon as he made it through the bedroom door. Even empty, the bed was inviting and somewhat warm as he climbed into it. Pushing the nagging thoughts of Ace and the fire to the back of his mind again, Marco closed his eyes and tried his best to fall asleep.

**Sorry it took this long to post the first chapter, but it's finally here. I'll do my best to make this a regular thing. Enjoy, review and all that. Knowing that someone actually reads this means a lot.**

**Also, just a reminder. This happens right after chapter 11 of Running to the edge of the world (for those that read that) and the epilogue was 6 months after that. So this is before the epilogue. Keep it in mind xD**


	3. The hanged man

**The hanged man**

Despite the risk of sounding extremely girly, Ace had to admit Zoro and Sanji were adorable together; still shy and blushing at the slightest touch or look while he was in the same room with them as if they were a pair of schoolgirls. Completely unlike their usual manly demeanor and a really good reason to mess with them whenever the opportunity to do so presented itself. Such opportunities presented themselves more often than not, but Ace had found it hard to enjoy it to the fullest after the past weekend.

_flashback_

_"Did you invite someone else?" Sanji asked, looking at Zoro who was equally confused._

_"No." he said as he got up and walked to the door, leaving Sanji and Ace confused in the kitchen. The doorbell wasn't the one from the front door, it was the one for the apartment door so whoever the visitor was, he was in the building. Zoro opened the door and was met with two half-lidded blue eyes staring at him; the man was slightly taller than him and obviously older, but the blond mohawk-looking hairstyle made him look fairly young._

_"Good day, I'm detective Marco Phoenix." He showed his badge before speaking again. "Are you Zoro Roronoa?"_

_"Uhm, yeah, that's me." Zoro replied, confusion evident on his face. "How can I help you?" He asked and stepped to the side so the detective could enter the apartment._

_"Do you know a Miss Ishilly Sobakasu*?" the blond asked in a serious tone as Zoro led him to the kitchen._

_"Yeah, she's my ex-girlfriend. Why do you ask?" Zoro offered the detective a seat at the table, Sanji and Ace watching intently. He introduced the detective to them before they managed to ask questions, though it seemed that Ace knew the man already._

_"Miss Sobakasu was found dead in her apartment last night. She had a large amount of alcohol in her system and traces of sleeping pills. It seems she had fallen asleep with a few lit candles and the fire started while she was unconscious." the detective spoke and his tone was serious, he was shifting his gaze between the three young men before him as they were too shocked to speak so he continued._

_"We found a paper with your contact information so you are the only person in the country we can link her to." Zoro sat down next to Ace, having trouble processing the information that Ishilly was dead. "When was the last time you had seen her?" the blond asked, his attention on Zoro for the time being._

_"Two weeks ago. She visited me in the hospital." The detective's eyebrows rose, but he only nodded._

_"Did she usually drink a lot?" he asked._

_"Only when she was upset, I think." Zoro answered, honestly not remembering an occasion where he had seen her drink a lot._

_"Was there a reason for her to be upset?" the detective continued his questions, only nodding while Zoro answered._

_"Well, we broke up two weeks ago and she had taken it badly. Do you think someone might have done this to her?" Zoro suddenly asked, but both his and the detective's attention were drawn to Sanji who was holding a lit cigarette in his hand, pulling it away from a lighter in Ace's hand._

_"Don't tell me you started smoking while I was gone." he spoke quietly in Ace's direction, trying not to disturb the questioning, but it had been pointless in the small space._

_"Oh, no, I just got the lighter as a present." Ace replied and turned towards Zoro and the blond detective who observed the freckled man with interest for what felt like forever in the silence of the kitchen. When he finally turned back to Zoro, he replied to his question._

_"No, we believe it was an accident. Accidents like this one happen more often than you think. Don't they?" His question was asked in Ace's direction, confirming Zoro's suspicion that the two knew each other from work. Ace nodded in reply and detective Phoenix turned back to Zoro. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask these questions. May I ask why you broke up?" the detective asked another question and Zoro nodded before answering._

_"It turned out she was really jealous, following me all the time and she was rude to my friends. We dated in Japan two years ago and she just turned up here a couple of weeks ago, we got together for a just a week or so." Zoro replied, wanting to get it over with. It was strange to think that she got drunk and then burned in a fire, but he hadn't voiced his concerns._

_The detective simply nodded and stood up, shaking Zoro's hand and thanking him for his time before he glanced back at Ace for a second longer than necessary then saying goodbye to him and Sanji too. Zoro led him back to the front door and thanked the man for notifying him, even though he wasn't her family._

_"Oh, did you contact her family? I heard she left home a year and a half ago without telling anyone. Apparently, her parents didn't know where she was." Zoro said as the detective stood in front of his door._

_"Yes, just this morning. They will handle the transport of her remains back to Japan." the blond replied with a solemn look on his face. Zoro could see the man didn't like this aspect of his work. Who would be?_

_They shook hands once again and the blond detective with the curious hair was gone._

Convinced that what he had done was for a greater good, Ace held no moral qualms about what he had done per se; it was the visit of a certain blond detective on Sunday that got him second guessing his actions. He knew the man pretty well, if you could call it that at all. A friendship with probably the most laidback arson inspector in the city carried with it a certain degree of stories about the rest of his "family", the blond detective being one of them. Ace had never met him officially, but thanks to Thatch he knew enough about him to comfortably fall into the stalker category. After all, there's only so much you can know about a stranger without it being creepy and Ace was way past the line on that one. He doubted the man in question knew anything about it, other than the oh so obvious fact that Thatch had a big mouth. This brought forth the question whether the arson inspector spoke of him to his other friends. That could be troublesome for him in the light of recent events, especially since he had a nagging feeling that the detective might have gotten the wrong impression about him. Or, well, the right one, depends how one looks at it.

Ace was splayed out on his bed, sheets and a blanket tangled around his abdomen and legs in a cocoon of warmth, only his arms free and bare. Of course he was unable to sleep, feeling guilty about not feeling guilty with a dose of blond plaguing his thoughts. It would have been so much easier if he hadn't, in fact, thought about the detective before in a different manor. After all, the man is hot and very interesting, as far as Ace could tell from Thatch's stories and that right there was Ace's problem. Detective Marco Phoenix would probably end up being the bane of his existence, the Joker to his Batman, and yet Ace was constantly getting sidetracked by his wish to see the other shirtless. As if he didn't have enough on his plate already.

Still cocooned, Ace reached for his phone and checked the time. 6 AM. Too early to get up, way too early to even be awake and definitely way too early for work. He knew trying to sleep was a lost cause, but getting up wasn't an option either so he figured coming up with a plan wouldn't hurt. He had wasted two days already since the blond came to Zoro's place and who knew what he had done since. Ace was in dire need of a plan despite the tiny voice in the back of his mind reminding him that maybe, just maybe Marco didn't suspect him and he was imagining everything. That was also a realistic possibility, he concluded, but was it worth the risk? Would it really hurt to simply check it out? It was a fire so Thatch would be on the case, being the arson inspector and all. Come to think of it, it had been weird that he wasn't the one to notify Zoro. Ace made a sidenote to ask Thatch about it before returning to his musings. Whatever the plan, he had to talk to Thatch first; of course, if there was a case, the arson inspector wouldn't be able to discuss it, but the man did have a big mouth. Especially when he drank. Another sidenote: go drinking with Thatch.

Seeing as any kind of plan included a lot of Thatch's cooperation, Ace decided to leave for work early and visit the police station to talk to his friend. He would further worry about the other detective depending on what he finds out. In a perfect scenario, he wouldn't have to worry about the blond at all, but he had a feeling that would not be the case. For now, he thought of himself as lucky that Thatch was so friendly when they had met because it did make things easier, even if only a bit. Concluding the first part of that plan, Ace's thoughts turned to a darker path. What if he left some kind of evidence behind? He had thought long and hard about why Marco would even suspect him in the first place, but he couldn't think of anything beyond the lighter incident which in itself was nowhere near conclusive evidence. It was circumstantial, at best, but Thatch had mentioned at some point how the blond lived for his job and had the most amazingly accurate intuition he had ever seen. Not exactly an encouraging thought, but it only showed how his stroke of luck extended only on the act of killing someone and not on evading punishment for it. He had prepared himself for the possibility of paying for what he had done, but that didn't mean he should like the thought of going to jail. He was too beautiful to be locked up for the rest of his life, he thought, trying to direct his mind away from dark places and topics. He shook his head as best as he could without actually moving and redirected his train of thought back to Thatch.

Ace knew for sure he'd be working all day like he always worked; he was married to the job as much as his brothers were and just as much as Ace was. It seemed to be a common occurrence in both their stations and they were all content with it. After all, what they did helped people in one way or another. Since it was already three days after the fire, Thatch probably had a report and a theory as to what exactly happened. Sure, Ace knew what happened in great detail, but it was imperative to learn what the investigator thought and if it was to Ace's advantage. Thinking those thoughts made Ace feel real guilt for the first time; he would use his friend and lie to him. Granted, he would only ask a few questions to see if there was a case at all and take him up on the offer to be introduced to some of his brothers. It still felt horribly wrong and that probably wouldn't change any time soon, but it was something he had to do.

Feeling somewhat satisfied with the plan, Ace untangled the mess of blankets and sheets from his body. The cool air hit his bare skin immediately and he shivered as he lowered his feet to the cold floor. A yawn escaped him as he ran a hand through his hair. He reached over to his pillow and grabbed the phone he left there the last time he checked what time it was. 6:45 AM. Well, he thought, at least it was somewhat time for breakfast. The phone was dropped back somewhere on the bed as Ace stood up then picked up a pair of red cotton pajama bottoms from the floor, quickly slipping them on to keep some of the warmth from leaving his body. He made his way through the bedroom, past frosted windows and right to the thermostat. The cold never used to bother him and it didn't bother him that much still, but the concept of frosted windows, cold floors and an empty apartment brought a chill down to his bones and possibly to his very soul. He turned the heat on and moved to the kitchen; coffee sounded perfect at that particular ungodly hour. The small space was soon filled with the sounds of the coffee maker and liquid dripping into the pot so he moved to the fridge and contemplated praying that he actually had something edible in there, other than ketchup and a jar of pickles.

With a feeling of dread, Ace opened the fridge then promptly sighed in relief; he found eggs, bacon and butter. He pulled everything out and placed it onto the counter next to the coffee maker. There was a yellow post-it note on the pack of bacon, filled with neat handwriting he immediately recognized as Sanji's.

_Stock up on food, shithead. _

The note was simple, but it got the message through; Sanji had been to his place probably while he was at work the day before. It hadn't been the first time for the blond to do such a thing, knowing full well that Ace spent a lot of time at work and mostly forgot to do some basic shopping. That had also been one of the reasons he had missed Sanji while the blond was away. With a smile on his face, Ace found some toast and put two slices in the toaster before slicing the bacon and scrambling the eggs. He was no master chef like Sanji, but even he could make breakfast without setting the whole place on fire. The bacon was sizzling in the pan while he picked a mug from one of the shelves and poured coffee in it, adding a bit of sugar before going back to the bacon. It was done pretty fast, after all Sanji had taught him well and he removed it from the pan, pouring the eggs in. The smell made his belly grumble and the kitchen was heating up; the morning was starting to look better than it had 20 minutes before. Fighting the temptation to munch on the bacon before the eggs were done, Ace cursed not putting a shirt on. He could feel the occasional speck of scorching grease hit his bare skin and he couldn't say it was pleasant. After a couple more minutes he removed the eggs from the stove, flicking the flame off and dumping all the food on a plate, adding the toast on the pile so he could carry the coffee with his other hand.

It was weird eating all alone in the big apartment since Luffy moved out and Ace picked up a habit of reading while eating breakfast; the book was waiting for him on the table where he had left it the last time he ate there. Reading horror stories for breakfast was turning into a regular thing for him after he started taking book recommendations from Zoro and he found himself finishing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as he finished off his bacon and eggs. The food could hardly compare to Sanji's, but it was better than nothing. The day was definitely looking up once Ace filled his stomach, opting for a shower before deciding what he would do before work. The book was once again left on the table, though now he had finished it, and he took the dishes to the kitchen, refilling his mug. He would need all the coffee he could get after what was an almost sleepless night in his book. The dishes were clean in a heartbeat, the mug empty once again and Ace strolled toward the bathroom. He was used to Luffy not being there anymore and the place lost the feeling of home ever since, but his brother was happy and Ace was happy because of that, yet the silence in the apartment was still unnerving.

The bathroom was pleasantly warm as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He had managed to not think about anything of importance, but as it always was, the moment he dropped the pajama pants and stepped under the hot water, every thought from earlier returned. Every worry about his near future and the blond detective. As he had known already, thinking about him or anyone remotely attractive in the shower was never a good idea, yet he couldn't stop himself. It was funny how he never thought about the blond man to this extent before Sunday, yet he started to plague his mind after one simple visit and how with that one visit he went from an occasional jerk off fantasy to all Ace could think about. The nature of those thoughts wasn't necessarily sexual, but the man suddenly had a frustrating presence in all of Ace's thoughts, no matter what kind they were. He let out a frustrated groan, knowing he should get to the bottom of the damn situation before he lost his mind completely. Forcefully clearing his mind, Ace finished his shower before it began properly and stepped out, dripping water on the floor. Without so much as a glance toward the mirror, he dried himself off and slipped back into the pants he wore before. Brushing of teeth was also done faster than usual; Ace was getting jumpy and knew he should leave the place before he got reckless. There would be no harm in getting to work early, he could even maybe take a nap there before his shift.

Deciding that to be the best course of action, Ace rinsed his mouth and went back to his bedroom. He found a warm shirt and some jeans after a short while of rummaging through the closet, quickly grabbing a pair of socks from the dresser. In a flash, Ace was dressed and on his way out of the apartment with a duffle bag containing a change of clothes he had packed the night before.

It hasn't snowed since Saturday and the streets were cleared; Ace glanced at his phone and noted there was more than enough time to walk to the station, he'd just have to hitch a ride with someone after his shift. He untangled a pair of earphones from his coat pocket, plugged them into his phone and started his walk almost across town. Ace was well aware that he would have to walk past Ishilly's apartment building, but he would finally be able to see the damage he had caused. Marco hadn't mentioned anyone else getting hurt so hopefully it wasn't that bad. The last thing he had wanted was to hurt someone; well, someone other than Ishilly, that is.

He continued walking through familiar streets listening to a playlist he hadn't listened to in ages. It was fairly sunny for early February and Ace was enjoying it; the decision to walk was a good one. It was still good, though, but that hardly mattered. Before he even noticed he already walked that far, Ishilly's building came into his line of vision. It looked fine from the outside except for busted windows of her apartment. They guys obviously arrived really fast, before the fire could spread and she probably suffocated rather than burned to death. That didn't really matter anyway, she was dead one way or another. Ace didn't stop walking, shooting only a glance at the building as he came closer then passed by toward the police station. He still had a lot of time left before his shift and Thatch surely won't mind the distraction from work.

By the time he arrived at the precinct doors, he was feeling slightly chilly. The wind was picking up again during the last 15 minutes of his walk and he had been dumb enough not to take a hat. The lobby wasn't as full of people as it usually was, but it was pretty early in the morning. The huge redhead at the front desk noticed him and grinned at him immediately.

"Hey, Brocca, how's it goin'?" he said with a smile and a small wave, stopping in front of her for a second.

"Slow morning, but it'll get busy probably." she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand before continuing with a softer tone. "You here to see Thatch?"

"Yeah. He here?" Ace asked.

Brocca hummed in reply and nodded her head in the direction of the stairs. "Go right ahead."

"'Kay, see ya later." he said with a smile and climbed the stairs. He already knew the layout of the place and even where he could find his friend when he wasn't at his desk, though this time he was. Despite the fact Thatch usually wore a pompadour, seeing him with deflated hair was far more strange and immensely funny since he somewhat unsuccessfully gathered all his hair into a pony tail. Ace walked past unoccupied desks, nodding at the policemen that were sitting at their own; everyone was already used to him coming around every once in a while. Thatch finally lifted his at the moment less than epic head and noticed him as he was two desks away. The frustrated scowl was soon replaced with a grin and Thatch sat back in his chair, watching Ace approach.

Ace plopped into the empty chair next to Thatch's desk that was there more for him that anyone else.

"Yo." he said with a grin. Setting the duffle on the floor under his chair, Ace took off his coat and draped it over the back of the chair.

"What brings you here, kid?" Thatch asked, snickering at the face Ace pulled at being called a kid.

"Couldn't sleep, went to work early." he shrugged. "You're investigating the fire from Saturday, right?" Proud at himself for asking it as nonchalantly as he did, Ace tried not to let any unwanted emotion appear on his face.

"Yeah. Why?" the older man wasn't showing any signs of negative feelings towards him at the mention of the fire. Taking it as a good sign, Ace continued.

"The victim was my friend's ex." he sighed out. "Are you thinking it was murder?" Ace was praying his anguish didn't show on his face, keeping it in a mask of genuine curiosity.

"What? No." Thatch seemed confused. "Why do you ask that?" he crossed his arms over his chest and knit his brows in confusion.

"Well, your friend from the homicide department came over to notify Zoro." Ace said with caution. "If it was just a fire, wouldn't you have done it?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"He was busy having a day off and dumping his Sunday shift on me so he couldn't be bothered with doing his job." Ace jumped in his seat at the sound of that deep steady voice that came from behind him. Of course he recognized it immediately, the sound of that damn voice was constantly in his head for the past two days. He didn't turn around, though, keeping his eyes fixed on the sheepish smile Thatch had on his face. Detective Phoenix moved next to him and stood there; Ace looked up and noticed him staring back from the corner of his eye. The man looked commanding from Ace's point of view, with his arms crossed and his head held up high.

_Also very attractive._

Trying to keep his libido in check, Ace offered him a late hello and extended his hand as he introduced himself. Marco regarded him for a moment with raised eyebrows before Ace spoke.

"We've never been officially introduced and it's just weird after how much he talks about you." He pointed to Thatch with his free hand and glanced his way, then almost yelped as Marco took that moment to shake his extended hand.

"Nice to meet you, then." the blond said with a smirk. "I'm Marco." They shook hands for a second longer than necessary, black eyes connected with blue. There was no obvious tension to speak of between them, but Thatch regarded them with mild confusion as neither paid attention to him. Before he could get any ideas, though, the two broke apart and turned to him.

"Anyway, I brought you back that file I borrowed." Marco broke the silence and placed the file in front of Thatch. "Talk to Izo before you leave, he's planning something again." He said when Thatch nodded and turned to leave. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ace." he looked at Ace as he said it then walked away.

Ace was sitting in his chair, watching Marco walk away with his mouth agape. _The hell was that?! _Thatch cleared his throat to get his attention and Ace was brought back from whatever the hell that had been. He closed his mouth and turned back to Thatch, taking in his expression; amused and confused at the same time.

"Anyway…" Ace said. "You were saying?"

"Oh, yeah, it was an accident." Thatch said. "How'd you know Marco went to the ex?" he asked, flipping through the file his friend had left.

"I was there." Ace replied with a wave of his hand. They fell into a silence, only broken by the rustle of papers.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work, kid?" Thatch lifted his head again and looked at Ace.

"Nah, I have the afternoon shift." Ace was starting to feel really bored.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" the brunette asked with a loud laugh. "Oh, oh, you missed me that much, didn't you?"

Ace rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop the chuckle from escaping. Leave it to Thatch to make him smile with random shit.

"Couldn't sleep so I came here to visit you before work." he said. "But if you're gonna be a dick about it, I'm gonna go." He added, slowly getting up as if he would really leave. Thatch merely laughed and told him to sit back down. He did before fishing out his phone and checking the time.

"Scratch that, I'm gonna go." This time he got up for real and returned the phone back in his pocket. "I still have enough time for a nap before my shift."

Thatch pouted at that, which was an almost grotesque sight to Ace so he spoke again.

"Besides, you should work or Marco might come back and make you regret being such a lazyass." Ace laughed at the face his friend was making, but had no intention to say any more.

"You're mean, kid." Thatch said with a smile; he knew Ace was right, Marco wanted nothing more than to kick his ass for tricking him into delivering the news to next of kin. Marco would, more than likely, do just that as soon as they ended up in the gym together. Thatch waited for that with a healthy dose of fear, but that was only for him to know.

"Stop calling me a kid and I might turn out to be all nice and shit." Ace replied with a matching smile.

"Nice try, kid."

Ace groaned jokingly before saying goodbye, picking up his bag and heading for the stairs. Thatch was waving at him as Izo came over to his desk.

"Was that Ace? He didn't say hi to me." Izo spoke, looking in the direction of the stairs.

"Yeah. You could have come here, too, you know." Thatch told his brother without looking at him.

"Ace was the only one here, right?" the raven head asked, turning his head just in time to see Thatch nod. "Marco probably scared him off, then."

The statement made Thatch lift his head and look at Izo. "What do you mean?"

"Well, big bro was staring at someone here for a while before he left the office with a file." Izo said, obviously confused. "Then he stared some more."

Thatch's face lit up like a kid on Christmas. It didn't take long for Izo to catch his drift which brought an equal grin to his face. Speaking with such a grin should be impossible yet Izo somehow managed.

"You should invite Ace with us on Friday." With that, he turned and walked back to his desk trying to subdue the joy on his face before Marco saw him.

XXXXX

Ace walked in to the common room in the station and rolled his eyes at all the stunned looks he was getting. Shanks came over and patted him on the back with a loud laugh.

"Wasn't expecting you here so early, Freckles." he said, causing the rest of the firefighters in the room to start laughing.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna take a nap." Ace said as he left his coat on the coathanger in the corner and walked upstairs to the shared dormitory. Each of them had a bunk for night shifts and Ace left his duffle under his own near the window. He went back to where the others were; he could hardly sleep with the smell of coffee in the air and the loud chatter from his colleagues. He joined them and quickly forgot about the nap he was planning on having, but only for a short while. The loud alarm interrupted them and everyone except Shanks and Ace was soon in action and away from the firehouse.

"Go take your nap, Ace, I've got the rest of the schedule to finish." Shanks told him while pouring himself another cup of coffee. "You mind working mornings for the rest of the week?" he asked without looking at his younger colleague.

"Nah, it's okay." Ace simply said as he stood up.

"Okay. You're getting the weekend off, by the way. It's been a while since you properly took a day off and I can't let it continue." Shanks looked at him and grinned again.

Ace groaned. "Fine, if I really have to, chief." Shanks laughed at Ace's childlike behavior and walked to his office without another word.

Ace took his leave too, walking back to his not so comfy bunk and removed his boots. A nap was sounding better and better; knowing that Thatch treated Ishilly's death as an accident, he could finally relax and catch up on much needed sleep. He could only hope there would be no more fires that day, but knew that was most likely only wishful thinking.

**So, I realized not everyone read Running to the edge of the world so the flashback is to show you guys what happened on Sunday before Marco went to the station in chapter 1. Enjoy.**


	4. Consider us dead

**Consider us dead**

The cots at the station could hardly be considered comfortable, but Ace's unusual lack of sleep the previous night made it hard for him to care. Somehow he fell asleep and that's all that matters. What also mattered was that he had, at some point, set his ringtone to Black Sabbath's Iron man. He usually loved the song, but hearing the distorted guitar sounds blaring into his ear wasn't a very good way to wake up. Startled by the loud noise, he jumped out of bed and looked around in confusion, not knowing what the hell was happening or if there was a fire alarm. A robotic voice saying he is Iron man brought Ace's attention to the glowing phone and he picked it up, answering it without checking the caller ID.

"Yeah?" he said, still more asleep than awake.

_"You sound like you were sleeping," _a voice he could easily identify as Thatch's said.

"That's 'cause I was. What is it?"

_"Izo and I want you to come to the Moby Dick on Friday. Can you make it?" _Thatch said, obviously not feeling guilty about waking his friend. Well, he was at work so he shouldn't be sleeping in the first place, at least not while they had 8 hour shifts.

"Sure, Shanks gave me the weekend off like usual," he replied. "The anniversary's on Sunday so I was gonna call you anyway." Ace added after a short pause; he tried not to sound too sad about it, but he knew Thatch probably heard it.

_"We're still gonna visit him," _Thatch spoke again, this time sternly, reminding Ace of their tradition. It made the fireman smile, knowing he wouldn't have to be alone on that day. _"So keep that lighter of yours out of use," _the older man added, no doubt remembering some of Ace's blunders from the past.

"I will, don't worry," Ace said with a chuckle. Honestly, it had been years since the last time he had done anything illegal. Well, at least that Thatch knew about and hopefully, he'd never find out about the other ones. Thatch laughed loudly.

_"Okay, okay, I'm just sayin'," _the older man said. _"So, Friday around 8 at the Moby."_

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there. Bye, old man."

_"Bye, kid." _

Ace hung up and sat down on his cot. He took a moment to check the time; his shift had started while he slept, but there probably wasn't an emergency since the others let him sleep through the shift change. Shanks had a nagging habit of worrying about him all through February; he might have had a reason to do so before, but Ace had changed immensely since Shanks and grandpa let him join the volunteers. He absentmindedly fished out the lighter from his pocket and played with it in his hands while remembering the last ten Februaries of his life. The month had always felt colder than it actually was, the absence of his best friend was somehow more noticeable. He knew Luffy and Sanji felt it too, but not as much as he did. Ace sighed and took a closer look at his lighter; clean smooth steel with a simple spade engraved in one side. A long deep scratch ran over the spade, ruining the beautiful image, but the item was still Ace's most prized possession.

He stood up with a start, gently placing the lighter in his duffle bag; it wasn't the right time nor place to think about those memories. They never brought anything good and people always noticed something was off about him, not to mention that Shanks was already worrying for him. Shanks may have said he hadn't had a day off in a while earlier, but he had a free day only a week or so before. The man had a heart of gold, but he couldn't lie to the other firemen to save his life. The mere thought of the redheaded chief brought a smile to Ace's face. Ace owed his life and Luffy's to the man so when Shanks said Ace had the weekend off, Ace took the weekend off without complaints.

With a new smile on his face, Ace changed into his uniform and returned to the common room. The guys were all there, enjoying a fresh pot of coffee and what looked like blueberry muffins. He was pointed to the direction of a full plate set aside just for him before he even managed to say hi. Shanks appeared soon after him, holding the new schedule in his hand.

"Okay, new schedule, guys," he announced and got everyone's attention. "Ace, you got here way too early and you have a morning shift tomorrow, so you can leave before the end of your shift if there will be no emergencies." Shanks looked at Ace until the latter nodded in response then turned back to the majority of his colleagues.

"I'm also reminding you that the other district's station will be back in business by Monday so we're going back to regular 24-hour shifts from next week. I'll make sure to finish that schedule until Saturday," the chief paused for a moment. "Any questions? Okay, now give me some of those muffins," he was grinning like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. It was hard to think of him as the chief sometimes, but he always took care of his men despite his own physical shortcomings.

Ace helped himself to some muffins and coffee, enjoying the atmosphere in the station as usual; they were all almost like a family considering how much time they had to spend together. Lately not so much, with the 8-hour shifts and the firemen from that other station joining them, but that would all return to normal soon enough. Still, Ace couldn't help but feel that he no longer had the right to be a part of that family. He broke the law, using fire no less, something he was supposed to be saving people from. The number of people he had saved outweighed one death he had caused, but was it enough? Did it work like that? Could he really justify himself like that? It was hard thinking about that while looking at Shanks and all his friends laughing like they weren't waiting for the alarm to go off. If it did, they would react immediately, jump into their suits and be off in a matter of merely minutes. Just like they probably did when the dispatch called in the fire he started. The sudden weight of guilt was heavy on his mind; he felt bouts of guilt occasionally, but never for ending a life. Merely the thought of getting caught and disappointing his friends made him regret his actions even when they _were_ for his friends.

Thinking of that again brought forth an interesting realization. Would Marco go with them on Friday? He probably should have asked; the detective might not suspect him of anything, but Ace was still interested in the man. Even more so when he didn't have to regard him as an enemy. A nagging voice in the back of his head kept whispering to him that he shouldn't trust the other that easily, that he should be careful around him and make sure there was nothing to fear, but Ace decided to ignore it. He would worry about it later.

XXXXX

"Come on, you didn't go with us in ages," Izo whined. "Even Ray came by more often and you know he rarely leaves Shakky's bar."

Marco sighed; having to listen to Izo nag and whine was something he could do without. The man's voice could go up several pitches when he really wanted something and apparently, he wanted Marco to go to a bar with him and Thatch. It wasn't the part about going to a bar with his brothers that bothered him, but he had a feeling there was more to it than just that. He wouldn't put it past Izo to take him out for a drink then end up in a gay club with a barely legal redhead grinding into Marco's lap. Things like that have, unfortunately, happened even when he didn't understand how the hell Izo actually managed to drag him to such places. Well, speaking of drag, he let himself be coaxed into a dress more than once and that spoke volumes of his love for the other, but it didn't convey how little trust Marco had when it came to going somewhere with Izo.

"Last time I accepted an invitation from you, we ended up on a boat trying to convince the captain that marrying a drunken Thatch to a stripper was the best course of the evening," Marco said in a straight voice, keeping his eyes on the papers before him. Truthfully, that had been a fun night; Thatch was always bad with keeping his liquor down, but that had thankfully never stopped him from drinking. If they weren't with the police, they would have been arrested ages ago. Remembering the good times made him want to reconsider and just go with them, but he was suspicious and rightfully so. Izo never did anything without ulterior motives, especially when it involved a situation with alcohol.

Marco gazed up at his partner and found him pouting the way he always does when things don't go his way; that behavior typical for 5 year old girls was not very appealing on a 30 year old man, but Marco was used to it. He couldn't really say it had the desired effect on him, but it was annoying to say the least.

"Stop being such a girl," Marco said, without a real bite to his words. Finally he sighed. "Fine, I'll think about it."

Izo squealed in joy, knowing full well that the battle was won. Marco really did need to get out more, he thought, get laid for a change and all that. It was surprising, to say the least, that he hadn't thought of hooking him up with Ace before. Well, he would change that hopefully sooner than later. He would let Thatch deal with the final touches of getting their 'big bro' to go live a little with them; after all, the brunette had a bit more alone time with Marco after work lately.

"You going to that bar down the street with Thatch after work?" Izo asked in an innocent tone that made Marco suspicious right away. In a brief moment of clarity, the blond realized that he was probably as paranoid as he was because of his brothers; they always schemed something and it would never end well.

"Yeah," he replied with a cautious tone. "You coming too?"

"No, I have better things to do than drink with you two boring geezers," Izo said as if he weren't only 2 years younger than those 'geezers' that he would be drinking with pretty soon. "Besides, my shift is over and I'm going home before I turn into you. You know, you should go home on time for a change."

It wasn't the first time Izo commented on his habit of working after his shift ended and it wouldn't be the last, seeing as he wouldn't stop staying late. Marco could barely think of that apartment as home, as opposed to the station that was exactly that. He simply shrugged off the comment and shook his head, completely ignoring his partner's sigh of frustration. Izo didn't bother with further comment, he said his goodbye and left the almost empty room. It didn't take long for Marco to push away the papers he had been reading so intently and turn to his computer; he was determined to do more digging into the mystery that was a certain freckled firefighter. The determination far outweighed his guilt for prying into his life, justifying what he was doing with convincing himself that he would let the whole thing go once he found there was no motive. Still, there was only so much he could find in the police databases and the newspaper articles were hardly helpful as they only spoke of the young man's admirable heroic side. Honestly, Marco was already fed up with reading about how Ace ran into fires almost every day to save someone he had never seen before. It made it really hard to hate the fireman, to keep pretending that he was a bad person and he deserved to be investigated without any proof. It wasn't often that Marco felt like a bad person because of the job he did, but this case that wasn't even a case was giving him a horrible sense of guilt, yet it wasn't strong enough to actually make him stop. It was concerning how a simple hunch was rapidly turning into a full blown obsession.

His search was fruitless, as expected, but he quickly thought of a different approach. Rummaging through his desk drawers, Marco fished out the notes he made after the conversation with the greenhaired ex. He had said something about the deceased being extremely jealous and rude to his friends. That could hardly be called a motive, but it was worth a try; Marco found where he had scribbled the names of those three he talked to on Sunday. Obviously, he knew Ace's name and he remembered Zoro's, but he didn't even think of the third kid before. He entered the blond's name into the search and glanced over his files. There weren't many of them, but according to airport records he had only recently returned to the country. Well, that didn't matter since the victim appeared some time after that, if he remembered what the ex said. The file held his last known address, a restaurant downtown; Marco called and got a hold of a grumpy old man that reluctantly gave away the blond's phone number. The only thing left was to call the guy in question, Sanji was his name, and find out what he wanted to know. Before dialing the number, Marco checked the time; it was still early enough to call, despite the fact it was already almost completely dark outside.

Setting his phone back on the desk, Marco picked up the office phone and dialed the number. It rang five times before he heard the click of the call being picked up.

_"Yes?" _

Marco recognized the baritone immediately, after all it had been only two days since he had spoken to them all.

"Good evening, this is detective Phoenix," he said in his most professional tone. "Am I speaking to Sanji?"

_"Good evening, detective," _Sanji spoke, unable to hide his surprise. _"Yes, this is Sanji. How can I help you?"_ He collected himself after a short pause and Marco couldn't help but be impressed.

"I'm sorry for calling at this hour. I was wondering if I could ask a few questions regarding Miss Sobakasu?" Marco continued in a professional manner, hoping the other wouldn't question the whole thing.

_"Umm…Sure," _the confusion was back in his voice. _"But I didn't know her that well."_

"I was just wondering if you could elaborate on what mister Roronoa said about her being rude to his friends," he said with a pen and paper ready on the desk in front of him.

_"Well, I only saw one outburst. In the hospital, two weeks ago, when they broke up. She yelled at us both, blamed me for him even being in the hospital and then he broke up with her," _Sanji finished.

"Why was he in the hospital?"

The line was quiet for a while and Marco had to wonder if the other was still there, but he was reassured when the other started speaking again.

_"I got into a fight and he helped me then got cut in the process," _he was speaking quietly, Marco assumed he also felt shame for getting his friend hurt. He had noticed on Sunday that those two had some strong chemistry.

"Is there anything else you could tell me? About the victim or what she might have done to anyone else?" Marco asked, but it was a long shot.

_"I'm not one to speak ill of a lady, dead or alive, but she was obviously..." _he paused, probably looking for the right words. _"…unhinged. She was unhinged."_

To Marco, it sounded like the other had called the victim crazy. Well, that gave him some insight about possible motive, but not why it would be Ace's motive. He was about to thank Sanji for answering his questions when he heard another voice, this one muffled; Sanji probably covered the speaker, but clearly not well enough.

_"Who is it?" _the other voice asked. It was quiet, but it sounded familiar to Marco.

_"It's the detective, wanted me to answer some questions…" _Sanji answered in a hushed tone. _"Don't worry, Zoro, go back to the couch and wait for me," _the blond finished and Marco thought he couldn't be surprised any more until he heard distinct noises and a muffled laugh followed by a gentle _"Zoro, stop that."_

_"Well, that's all I know," _Sanji spoke, his voice a normal volume again.

"That's alright, thank you for your time," he said politely without a hint of shock evident in his voice. "Good day." The other replied and hung up, Marco tried not to dwell on what the two were doing, but it was hard not to focus on that piece of information he had obtained. The knowledge of those two being a couple cast a whole new light on his course of investigation. It also gave him a new suspect; Sanji had the motive, clearly, and it would seem he was dealing with a crime of passion. That was easy for him to believe and somehow it made sense to an extent. He finally had motive. This was his last chance to decide whether to pursue the case or let it go, though there were still lose ends. Was the blond working alone or did the ex have something to do with it too? Where does Ace come into the picture? Were they all working together? They were all, conveniently, together the morning after it happened.

Marco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Instead of getting some real answers, all he got were more questions he couldn't answer. His whole case was shaky, only held up by his countless theories, but he still couldn't shake the godawful feeling that he was missing something.

"Hey, you done?" Marco jumped at the sound of Thatch's voice. The arson inspector was laughing by the time Marco looked at him. Clearly, he would have to leave his inner conflicts for another time; denying Thatch a beer was something very foolish to do.

"Yeah, let's go," he replied as he turned off the computer and put away all the notes he wasn't technically supposed to have. Thatch was waiting by the door, picking up Marco's coat as the blond approached him. Together, they walked by the old man's office and told him to go home then exited the building. Most of the detectives were gone for a while already, only few of them stayed after their shifts. They strolled down the street, passed the firehouse and two more buildings before turning towards the bar door. Marco went first and promptly collided with someone exiting the bar. A mumbled curse later, the offender looked up and froze. Marco saw surprise in Ace's eyes; the emotion he was probably displaying as well. Neither spoke, but Thatch broke the silence with a call of Ace's name and a question of what he was doing there.

"Oh, I walked here with Shanks. He's in there with Ray," he said, turning away from Marco.

"Come join us for a drink," Thatch invited him with a broad grin while Marco remained silent.

"Nah, I'm going home. Didn't sleep last night and I have a morning shift," the fireman said. "You know how I get when I don't sleep enough," he added with a strange look directed at Thatch.

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Thatch was dejected, but knew better than to keep his friend awake for longer than necessary. Meanwhile, Ace turned back to Marco.

"Nice seeing you again, Marco," he said in a polite tone. "I'll see you on Friday, old man."

Thatch cringed and Marco definitely noticed, but neither commented on it as Thatch bit hid farewell and Ace walked away further down the street. The brunette was waiting for a scolding comment from Marco, but was awarded with silence. He didn't dare to speak, he just continue through the door and hoped Marco would follow; and he did.

They sat at the bar and greeted Shakky. Her bar was almost exclusively visited by policemen and firemen, seeing as it was located in the same street as both stations. They could see Ray and Shanks drinking at the other end of the bar, immersed into what looked like a serious discussion. Marco removed his coat and hung it on the back of his barstool, knowing Thatch was doing the same. Shakky brought them their drinks without asking what they wanted since they were coming to the place for long enough already. She left them alone soon after and Thatch could only worry about what Marco might say.

"Who's coming on Friday?" he asked with surprisingly little malice in his voice.

"Izo, Ace, me and hopefully you," Thatch replied readily as Marco took a sip of his beer.

"I'll go," he said when he finished. "As long as no one ends up married or wearing a dress. The latter doesn't count for Izo," he added when Thatch gave him a beaming grin.

"Since when are you and Ace this close, though?" Marco asked, genuinely intrigued. "I mean, when did you start going around, bothering 20 year old firemen?"

Thatch narrowed his eyes at the blond, trying to convey that he was truly an idiot.

"I met him when he was 12, actually," he spoke, turning away from Marco, but still noticing his surprise. He left it at that and Marco continued to look at him expectantly.

"Well, you can't shut up now," he finally said after a minute of silence. Thatch sighed in defeat; he knew he couldn't get out of telling that story, but it wasn't really his story to tell. Opting for telling only the bare minimum, he started his story.

"That was 10 years ago, we were still beat cops, remember? Fresh out of the academy," he spoke with a nostalgic smile. "First time I was on patrol, dispatch called in a fire. We were the closest so we went. Got just in time to see Shanks barely making it out of the burning house with a kid and a mangled arm before the house collapsed."

He stopped and took a long gulp of beer, remembering the night as if it had happened yesterday. It was his first time, after all, and he would never forget it.

"There was another kid already outside," he continued. "He was trying to run back to the house, but Beckman was holding him back since there really was no house to speak off anymore."

Marco was listening patiently, knowing there was a point to the story, but not knowing what it was yet.

"Ace was the one Beckman got out first. Shanks got his little brother," he paused to look at Shanks and remembering how he had lost his arm saving that kid, but still didn't show any signs of regret. _"It was just an arm" _he had said. "Shanks lost the arm and I think he stayed as chief 'cause he saved the mayor's grandkid."

Expecting more of the story, Marco kept quiet.

"It wasn't their house, they were just spending the night because Garp was out of town," Thatch added. "It was arson. That was the case that made me want to be an arson investigator, by the way," he said and glanced at Marco with a sad smile. "The case remained unsolved, but I promised Ace I'd stay in touch so he would know as soon as we got something."

Thatch turned to Marco again. "As he got older, he started volunteering at the station with Shanks and we became friends," Thatch shrugged and the blond knew this was the end of the story. He could tell there were parts missing, he wasn't stupid, but he had no intention of pressing for more information. After all, Thatch told his part of the story; all the other details were Ace's to tell and Marco had no doubt that there were indeed some very important details. Maybe they weren't important per se, but it probably had a lot to do with the person Ace had become. He couldn't deny that he was interested in hearing whatever was left out, but he was slowly getting used to not knowing the answers to his questions. More pressing matters were at hand, anyway, but he had high hopes for Friday. Getting to know Ace was as good a plan as any and since there would be alcohol and Thatch involved, Marco wasn't wrong to expect at least some secrets spilling. Hopefully, it wouldn't be his own.

**I'm a day late, I know. Sorry. Shit is going down, though. **


End file.
